A Wise Word:

Sunday, March 30, 2014

This past week, I made my husband an achy joint salve that does so much more. Let me 'splain.

Using herbs medicinally is nothing new to me, but this was my first attempt to try and incorporate the magical properties of herbs. My husband has been having increasing pain in nearly all his joints, so I needed to make him a salve. My previous knowledge of herbs told me that ginger and a touch of cayenne should soothe and reduce inflammation, but I wanted to go a bit further this time. Using my resources for magical herbalism, I decided to try adding a trio of magical herbs for energy; cinnamon, carnation, and dragon's blood. When my trip to the local health food store only turned up one of the three special ingredients, I decided to incorporate it all the same.

So we are talking about a simple salve of ginger, cayenne, and cinnamon. It sounds pretty basic. Not having the other two magical elements I expected the cinnamon to do little more than add aroma and maybe a touch of heat to the warming element of the salve. All the same, I charged my ingredients and proceeded to create my salve.

The following morning, hubby woke up more achy than usual and I proceeded to rub the new salve into his hands, feet, and back. Medicinally, it was spot on. As I worked in the salve, I could feel the tightness recede and the inflammation drain away. What happened next is where the surprise came in. My previously achy, far side of forty-year-old husband started acting like a teenage boy.

After a nap that resulted in very little rest, my husband turned to me and asked, "Wow! What was that." I had to grin just a little as I told him,

"It must have been the cinnamon."

It wasn't a fluke either, I felt it to a lesser degree from the contact with my hands and we have tested it since with the same outcome. Yes, I had known that one of the magical properties of cinnamon is to incite sexual passion, but since that was not my intent and it was a single herb working alone I had dismissed it's power. I doubt I'll make that mistake again, but I will be making more achy joint salve.

Finding a Witch

As a little girl, I told my parents that I preferred being barefoot because I could feel the Earth breathing through the soles of my feet. Of course, with their typical conservative piousness, I was quickly shushed and informed that the Earth did not breathe. Even though I never mentioned it again, I didn't for a moment believe them.

For many years, I communed silently with the elements and in times of need used childish spell work to pull healing from the Earth and soothing from the Wind. It was my secret superstition and I hid it well beneath my fundamentalist Christian costume.

After being freed from the church for several years, I begin to pursue the secret knowledge I have carried with me all this time. That is how I got here: joyfully practicing the old faith in this little apartment. I'm still in the broom closet most days and I have a lot to learn, but the journey has begun.